Apply for help to pay the court fees for a civil or family case

You may not have to pay some of the court fees for your civil or family court case if you can’t afford them.

You will need to ask the court to waive (cancel) the fee. This means you won’t have to pay.

Reasons why the court might give you a waiver

The court may waive a fee for 2 reasons:

Financial hardship This applies if you’re getting legal aid or using the Family Legal Advice Service, or if you’re on a benefit or living off your superannuation, or if the court believes that paying the fee will cause you financial hardship.

Public interestYour case is in the public interest if the outcome would affect more people than just the people involved. Examples include a charity taking a case to court that is likely to benefit a group of people, or a case in a new area of law that is likely to clarify issues for the wider community.